How dangerous is yew?

Nervousgardener · July 2020

Hello

I purchased 6 yew plants, about 1 metre high and planted them. But I was then told they they are poisonous to animals and humans. Are they safe in a normal back garden i.e. cats, rabbits, are they also safe to prune and compost? Also, how close should they be to the fence and side of a house - I've planted mine about 60 cms from the side fence and about 3 metres from the rear of the house.

Hope you can advise me, as I'm a bit worried.

chicky · July 2020

Think you should be ok - just don’t try and eat them 😋. The only bit I would watch is the berries if you have young children, as they are a rather attractive shade of pink, and the children need to be taught that they should not be eaten.

The deer round here prune the new shoots off ours, so they obviously aren’t toxic for them.

Nervousgardener · July 2020

Thanks for the reply chicky.

I have laurel already in the garden which can also be toxic and have had no problems with it.

Do you know if the roots are invasive or widespread - should I have planted them further away from my house. I'm intending to have a hedge height of about 2 metres as a privacy screen from my neighbours.

Not sure that if I keep them neat and tidy the roots won't get out of hand as you hear of horror stories of damage to drains and foundations.

The internet can be a bit confusing sometimes and I need the advice from proper experienced gardeners!!!

Hostafan1 · July 2020

I worked at a house with a yew hedge next to a field, the Welsh Mountain Sheep happily nibbled at it with no ill effects.

Lyn · July 2020

Grown in churchyards as they thought it poisonous to sheep so it stopped the farmers using it for a bit of free grazing, the romantic version is that it keeps the devil away from the churchyard.

punkdoc · July 2020

I am probably wrong, but I thought the only bit that was not poisonous was the berries.
We have several mature Yew tree, some over 500 years old and no has ever come to any harm, as a result of them.

Liriodendron · July 2020

I may be wrong as well... but I believe the red fleshy part of the berry isn't poisonous, but the seed, leaves and bark are. However, most of us don't go round eating plants we don't know are edible...

cassie.a.stewart · July 2020

Yes thats right, red fleshy part is edible and apparently quite sweet. Everything else is poisonous. Deadly to some.

Nervousgardener · July 2020

Thanks for all your comments - they are helpful and very interesting.

I might move a couple of the yews to the other end of the line, which will give me 4 metres distance from my house and my neighbours house! I did find something online that it needed to be 5 metres away for a full size tree, but mine will only be maximum hedge height of 2.5 metres, so I'm hoping that will be okay.

I didn't think that animals would deliberately eat something that would be poisonous but just got a bit concerned.

Loxley · July 2020

If maintained as a hedge it will be fine within 3 metres of a house. The NHBC recommends 0.75 x the height of a moderate water demand tree, which is how they classify yew. But you are maintaining at a height of 2.5m and will be keeping it that way. So 0.75 x 2.5 = 1.875m; that's your minimum distance.

The roots aren't problematic like say willow or oak. It would be nothing different to planting a privet hedge. Generally you get subsidence when you're on a clay soil, and a large tree sucks up large amounts of water, causing shrinkage, which then heaves back in the winter. If you maintain the plants at a small size as with a hedge, you will be reducing this effect substantially.

Nervousgardener · July 2020

Thanks Loxley. My soil is quite clayey in places and in others places it's lovely.

But I agree, 3 metres is more than adequate and 4 metres is really generous. The yews are replacing a huge viburnum that was there, as it suddenly started to die off and left a 2 metre wide space in the garden.

I might look at putting another little shrub closer to the house.

How dangerous is yew?

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